Birmingham Public Library Blog

  Judy Woods is a financial counselor with Operation HOPE inside the Central Library. June is African American Music Appreciation Month —a time to celebrate the sounds, stories, and soul of a rich musical legacy that has shaped history and inspired generations. From jazz to blues to gospel, hip-hop, and R&B, every genre tells a story layered with struggle, triumph, resilience, and creativity. Did you know that patrons of the  Public Libraries of Jefferson County , including the Birmingham Public Library, can check out books, DVDs, and movies related to African American Music Appreciation Month?  Click here to explore our catalog on the subject. Click below to read tips tying financial wellness to music from Judy Woods, a financial counselor for Operation HOPE's office inside the Central Library downtown. Much like music, your financial well-being carries its own rhythm. Each decision, swipe, save, splurge, and payment adds a note to the composition of your financial l...

Pratt City Branch Library is hosting a free pottery class on Tuesday, June 10, 2025 led by Lydia Walker of the Birmingham Museum of Art. The  Birmingham Public Library  has 17 locations across the city, offering fun activities and fascinating programs every week for patrons of all ages—from kids to senior citizens. Throughout  June and July , BPL locations will host  more than 200 free Summer Reading programs  for children, teens, adults, and seniors. Visit any BPL location to sign up . 👉 To view the full list of Summer Reading programs by location, visit  BPL Summer Reading . 📅 Highlights This Week at BPL (Monday–Friday, June 9-13) • Live Animal Show - Inglenook Branch Library 📅 Tuesday, June 10 | 🕙 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 📍 Address: 4100 8th Terrace North, Birmingham, AL 35204 📞 Phone: (205) 849-8739 🔗 Facebook: Inglenook  Branch Library  Join the Science Lady for a slithering and scaly good time. You'll meet live animals and learn all a...

Event: " Pull the String-Featuring Guest Presenter A. Faye Boykin 📍Titusville Branch Library #2 Sixth Avenue South West Birmingham, Alabama 35211 🗓 Wednesday, June 11, 2025 🕚 11:00 A.M. Event Details The Titusville Branch Library is pleased to present  “Pull the String,”  an enriching and interactive adult summer engagement program designed to inspire perseverance, purpose, and personal empowerment. This 30-minute experiential session promises to be one of the most intellectually and emotionally invigorating community programs offered this season. This event is free and open to the public. Adult participants are encouraged to attend and experience this rare opportunity for renewal, reflection, and transformation. Rooted in the symbolic act of “pulling the string,” the program invites participants to reflect on the cyclical nature of effort, resilience, and reward. Each attendee will engage personally by placing their name into a designated role, symbolizing their commi...

  Bibliophiles and art enthusiasts, mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 10!   The Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library is thrilled to announce Treasures from the Stacks: A Booksale for the Discerning Collector ! This will be a book sale unlike any other, a curated collection designed to delight and inspire. Forget your average used book sale; this is an opportunity to discover truly exceptional pieces, from unique literary artifacts to exquisite leather-bound editions and breathtaking art volumes.   Join us "the sale before the sale" on Tuesday evening, June 10th, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.  at the Central Library downtown , 2100 Park Plac e. These books will all be specially priced items. No bag sales will be available during this evening. This special event is happening two days before the Friends Bookstore Spring Booksale will be held June 12-14. The Allure of the One-of-a-Kind  Imagine holding a piece of history in your hands, a book wi...

📍 Location:   Central Library, First Floor, 2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203  🗓  Dates:  Fourth Tuesday of each month, May - October 2025 ⏰5:30 - 7:00 p.m.  Cost : Free and open to all The power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a technology that can help simplify business tasks and create new opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs was the topic of week one of the Birmingham Public Library's new Grow with Google Small Business Workshop series. Developed with input from experts at Google, the  Grow Your Business with AI-Powered Tools by Google   workshop, held last Tuesday, ,May 27 at the Central Library downtown,  explained the basics of AI and how AI-powered tools by Google can help small businesses be more efficient, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth.  The guest speaker for the workshop was Dr. Patrick J. Murphy, Goodrich Endowed Chair for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Collat School of Busine...

Miriam Calleja - Choreography of Almost The Birmingham Public Library is excited to announce the opening of an exhibition featuring works by artist and poetess Miriam Calleja . Stuck; lingering invites viewers to contemplate a unique fusion of verse and visual art or, as Calleja describes it, “a meeting of poetry and imagery in connection and conflict.” Please join us for an opening reception on Friday, June 6 , from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Lobby Gallery at the Central Library . Calleja will read some of the poems featured in her exhibition. The reception is free and open to the public. Using techniques such as collage, embroidery, and image transfer, Calleja works with acrylic paint, ink, watercolor, pencil, and found materials to incorporate her original verse into handmade books, assemblages, and mixed-media pieces. Each of Calleja’s pieces contains a line or an entire poem from her repertoire, including some new unpublished work. The exhibition name is inspired by lines from ...

  The  Birmingham Public Library  has 17 locations across the city, offering fun activities and fascinating programs every week for patrons of all ages—from kids to senior citizens. Throughout  June and July , BPL locations will host  more than 200 free Summer Reading programs  for children, teens, adults, and seniors. Visit any BPL location to sign up . 👉 To view the full list of Summer Reading programs by location, visit  BPL Summer Reading . 📅 Highlights This Week at BPL (Monday–Friday, June 2-6) McWane Science Center:  Partners in Science  – Smithfield Branch Library 📅 Tuesday, June 3 | 🕙 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 📍 Address: 18th Ave. West, Birmingham, AL 35204 📞 Phone: (205) 324-8428 🔗 Facebook:  Smithfield Branch Library Facebook Science is a team effort! Learn how collaboration helps scientists solve major challenges—from global pandemics to space station operations. Recipe Demo with Chef Murphree – Five Points West Library ?...

The June 6 Bards & Brews Open Mic at East Village Arts will include a tribute to late host Voice Porter 🎤 Bards & Brews Open Mic – June 6 at East Village Arts 📅 Date:  Friday, June 6 🕡 Time:  6:30 p.m. 📍 Location:   East Village Arts, 7611 First Ave. North, Birmingham, AL 35206 🎟 Admission:  Free and open to the public (ages 18+). Must be 21+ to drink alcoholic beverages. 📱 Follow us:   Bards & Brews on Facebook Have you ever wanted to share your original spoken word poetry in front of a live audience? Now’s your chance! Join the  Birmingham Public Library’s Bards & Brews Open Mic  at  East Village Arts  on  Friday, June 6 , beginning at  6:30 p.m.  This special edition of BPL’s popular monthly spoken word and craft beer series is  on the road —hosted for the first time at East Village Arts, a nonprofit artist collective located in Birmingham’s East Lake community. 🎤  Hosted by:  Emcee The...

File photo of East Lake Branch Library    East Lake Branch Library to Hold Reopening Ceremony June 2 The East Lake Branch of the Birmingham Public Library will host a reopening ceremony at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 2, 2025. 📍 Location:  East Lake Branch Library #5 Oporto Madrid Boulevard Birmingham, AL 35206 📞 Phone: 205-836-3341 "East Lake Library is reopening its doors - and I couldn't be prouder," Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a statement Wednesday. "Not just because it's another win for our neighborhoods, but because it reflects what we believe: access to knowledge should never be up for debate."   📚 History of East Lake Branch Library: The East Lake Branch began its life in 1914 in a 25-by-50-foot room on the second floor of the East Lake Fire Station. In 1926, the City of Birmingham purchased land at #5 Oporto Madrid Boulevard from Sidney P. King for $10,000 to construct a new library building. The Miller and Martin Architectural Firm ...

  " I'm Still Here is an urgent story that needs to be seen and discussed."-Movie Reviewer William Anthony, Librarian I at Citizen Services Department, Central Library  I’m Still Here packs a powerful punch about the atrocities, more specifically forced disappearances, committed by a military dictatorship and how it scarred an innocent family living in Brazil in the early 1970s. (Click here for a link to the movie trailer for  I’m Still Here  ) I'm Still Here does not revel too much in these crimes, for these heinous acts occur offscreen. Instead, it accurately breaks down the aftermath of dealing with trauma without just stepping onto a soapbox and using a bullhorn to preach about how awful war crimes and human rights abuses are.   Walter Salles’ latest film takes this critical, unsettling era in Brazilian history a step further by prioritizing how ordinary people suffer the brunt of unchecked power.  The Paivas appear to have it all. The elegant E...

Organization for Craters is among 29 Summer Reading Programs happening at Springville Road Regional Library during June and July. Throughout June and July,  17 BPL locations  across the city will host  more than 200 free Summer Reading programs  for children, teens, adults, and seniors. To see the full list of Summer Reading programs by location, visit  BPL Summer Reading . 📍 Spotlight: Springville Road Regional Library Address:  1224 Springville Road, Birmingham, AL 35215 Phone:  (205) 226-4081 Facebook:   Springville Road Library Facebook Springville Road Regional Library is offering  38 Summer Reading programs  this year— 2 Special Events, 3 All Ages, 18 youth activities  and  15 programs for teens and adults . Registration for Summer Reading is available at any BPL location. Below is a breakdown of the programs taking place at Springville Road: 🎉 Special Events • Children’s Health & Information Fair (Family Event) 📅...